Reviews (page 5 of 8)
I get what this did for punk rock. I get this is live, so the production is going to be understandably rough. And the band is rough anyways, they're playing is all over the place, the vocals are sometimes spotty. I get their was some interesting controversy over Kick Out The Jams motherfucker. But raw aggression can only cover so many things for me. I want to love this album. As it is though, it's just okay in my opinion.
This album isn't awful, but it definitely isn't something anyone needs to listen to. I certainly wouldn't be unhappy listening to this concert live, or if someone else played this album, but it just doesn't need to be on this list.
Not much that stands out. Theres some interesting parts and I like the sound. Maybe I should give it another listen in the future.
2.5/5. This is fine, not something I'll want to listen to again. The overall sound can be enjoyable at times.
i thought this was pretty good. i love rock so much, i cannot stress how beautiful sounding it is. i do wish, though, that rob’s voice was more prominent because he has a very unique and distinct voice, but sometimes the music drowns it out. i kind of want to listen to more by this group. i think i would really like their other songs as well. also, not sure when i would listen to this album again besides my favorites—maybe when i am in a rebellious mood. my favorites were “kick out the jams,” “rocket reducer no. 62 - talk,” “motor city is burning,” “i want you right now,” and “starship,” with my #1 favorite being “borderline.” oh my goodness, that is such a good song. i will definitely replay that one for sure. i am a big fan of the 60s, so that kind of made me like it more naturally, but it was a killer album. 🖤🎸
So while reviewing RATM’s debut, I said a whole lot of stuff about that word “motherfucker”, and oh oh oh did I not then totally grasp precisely how loaded with rock n’roll history that tight little portmanteau is. “Kick out the jams motherfuckers” might have been a call to action too far for mainstream America to get behind in 1969, but I guess that’s their loss. Five minutes into this album, I’m telling Fleur that there’s no way I could have liked the Beatles in the late 60s if this is what they were up against. This is simply fucking fantastic – not a single moment wasted, every moment demonstrably wasted. Almost 60 years later, my enthusiasm for this record transforms into a mess of limbs. I’m air guitar. I’m air drums. I’m warbling along like whatever that dude’s doing in the background too. I just love it. MC5 need no introduction, but if we must insist on one – let it be “kick of the jams, motherfuckers” and let that be that forever.
Appealing at times but not really very good - tolerable rock.
Pink blues
Appreciate that its a forefather to punk rock. Not the biggest punk rock fan and won't cue any of these songs
Bangers from proto punk band MC5.
2 - just didn’t sound good. The songs were pretty generic, the quality was terrible
Rollicking freaky good time here. Plenty of high octane blues and edge to usher out the hippie generation to a period where the doors are opening to the upper animosities of punk.
Interesting live album, style a little repetitive
If you aren't totally enthralled by the punk energy, this album doesn't really have much else to offer
Kick out the jams motherfuckers. This seems to be ground zero for raw garage punk music. I can understand why people don't like this, but I think it's great. The energy level is unreal. These gigs must have been a blast to have attended. 5 stars for the flawed perfection.
Atrocious. No redeeming value. I wish I could get those 40 minutes back.
This album is just horrendous. Somewhat reminiscent of Spinal Tap but without the satire or humor. If ever an album was worthy of the review “Shit Sandwich”, this one fits the bill.
A great noise, showcasing a vital band at their best. The album is strongest when it follows the actual flow of a gig in the second half, as it builds to a feedback-fuelled freak-out of a finale! Favourite tracks: Ramblin Rose, Kick Out The Jams, Motor City Is Burning
So much distortion and feedback that it’s hard to make out the already chaotic instrumentals, and the singer is all over the place too. I like high energy music, but you need more than energy to be great. There were a couple cool solos, but they were hard to make out in the cacophony.
[3.5]
I salute this but don't really like it very much. Also, seems like the censored version is the one that made it to the streaming era...is nothing sacred anymore?!?
This album is a fascinating time capsule, and strangely a blend of Rage Against the Machine and Spinal Tap, but obviously from much earlier than either. I'll admit I didn't know anything about the controversy surrounding the album, which seems to be mainly from the opening scream of the title track; I suspect that part of my ignorance is that the few times I've heard that song it's likely always been the radio version, sans mofo. I enjoyed the title track (who wouldn't?) as well as "Rocket reducer no. 62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa)" (strange title), and honorable mention to the too-noodly-but-still-fun "Starship". I imagine it would have been almost more fun to have been part of the audience for the show that produced this album, than to listen to this record at home. But I'm still impressed at how hard-rocking they are, especially for 1969, and the various nods to leftist/revolutionary stuff is also why I thought of RAGM (who have a pretty decent cover of this album's title track, btw). (3)
The energy here is insane and I dig it. The guitars are especially strong and keep things interesting when the music threatens to ramble on... I've already listened twice this morning.
Live albums do not do it for me, so as an album this feels a little jarring. But no one can deny the influence of MC5 on the next generation of punks and for that I will be forever grateful (and so sad to not be at this actual show).
This was a fun record. It felt different than other live recordings. Felt more like you had a front row seat right at the edge of the stage.
Nothing more than fine
This album, for me, is kind of like an inside-out shit sandwich. The first and last numbers are the shit, and the "bread" is on the inside. I think bread is a good description too, because all those middle tunes comprise no-frills, staple rock and roll fodder that satisfies completely, even if the taste is nothing special. At least, they satisfied me enough to forgive the shit on the outside and give this album five stars, and to add it to my Tidal library.
It’s loud but not enough jams
Brash and sexy, bring on the noise
Great energy but they lost me on the last two tracks
At the height of 60s flower power, there was MC5 kicking out regular terminal stasis in the American ruse. That guitar! Those elegant vocals! Over too soon.
Definitely seems like an album before its time. Very erratic though , some songs had no impact and others were pretty okay. My highlight was Let me try!
It's got a lot of energy, I'll give it that.
yeah, i don't know. i've always thought this was overrated. i enjoyed it more today—it has some magical moments—but in general, it's a bit too sloppy and too flower-powery for my tastes. i dig that they were making a ton of punk-adjacent noise back when that was groundbreaking. but others did it better.
I did try to kick out the MC5 jams but just couldn't make it happen. I can appreciate them from a historical context...ahead-of-their-time psychedelic punk noise.
I've heard of MC5, but I've never listened to any of their music before. I know this is supposed to be a really influential album, so I'm excited to listen to it today. I'm hoping it can live up to my expectations for it! Unfortunately, I thought Kick Out The Jams was a bit of a dud. I can appreciate this album for the influence that it had on other artists, and I enjoyed the raw energy of it, but it felt like a one-trick-pony. The guitar playing, drumming, and singing all felt really run-of-the-mill, and I can't recall a single riff or melody that really stuck out to me. I listened to this album twice, and other than the energy and the stage banter, nothing about it was particularly memorable to me. I thought "Boderline" was fairly good, as was "Starship," but honestly, I think the only reason I liked "Starship" was because it was really weird and stuck out as something different on this album. I was really surprised to see such a low average rating for this album, but now I know why. I guess it's possible to be both influential and underwhelming, and MC5 is the prime example of how to do that.
I had never heard of this band before and I am glad I know them now! Fast, hard, punk rock with great energy throughout. It was so punchy and electric, had me ready to run. One of the better live albums I've heard
When I read "proto-punk" I already lost all interest, but I was pleasantly surprised.
good history of punk right here. highlights include: "Kick Out the Jams" "Motor City Is Burning" "I Want You Right Now"
This album is an absolute fucking mess. Guitars are all over the place, drummer sounds like he has been on a seven day meth binge and the singer objectively couldn't hit a note if his life depended on it. 5/5 and going straight onto my heavy rotation list.
Nope.
Clearly a cult classic but I imagine they were better live.
Sound quality just didn’t cut it. Some good noise but got really weird at the end. Light 3.
Pretty harsh sounding partially due to the recording quality and partly due to band’s dense, early proto punk sound. Aggressive and opinionated. Guitars are great but the muddy mix makes it hard to tell.
This album must be on here for impact more than for its overall quality. While the music on here was never very sophisticated or interesting (though I did enjoy "Motor City Is Burning" and "I Want You Right Now") the energy was certainly there. I'm guessing given its 1969 release that it was a massive influence on punk and garage rock and was therefore ahead of its time. This is some pretty wild stuff and I'm assuming the live version is here because of the high energy?
pretty sweet statement for your debut album to be a live album it’s high energy and fun gets a bit repetitive to me though
Typical 60’s Brit rock
60’s rock
This was great fun. Must have been incredible to be there.
Holy shit what just happened. This was a solid five up until the last song spaceman thing
2.5 honestly
Forgettable, indistinguishable noise.
scheiße
Not really for me. I liked the first song. The spoken part at the beginning got me hyped up but then it was a bit of a jump scare when he started singing. But I still enjoyed it. But none of the other songs clicked for me. Something I’m noticing is a lot of these older albums are hard to understand what they’re saying. And the ones that I’ve enjoyed the most are the ones that are more clear. That seems to be my preference so hopefully there are more coming up in the future.
3.5
4.5
4.5 more fun, crazy, important than relistenable.
Love the raw power of this album, some of it definitely pre-punk punk. Others rely a bit on 50s rock and roll riff which with their power gets nice and crunchy 8.66 ★★★★
Cool energy, like the more. Psych parts better than the punk parts. 3.5 stars
3.5/5
I think it's a good album, but I think the songwriting does drop off quite a bit after the title track, which I love. High 3.5.
3.5
Pretty cool. Energy levels in this are something else. Would have been wild to hear this back in 1969. Not too many memorable songs though out of the iconic title track and vocalist kinda sucks. It really is just a massive spoolage of messy shouty metally trippy proto punky rock that gets incredibly ragged by the end. An uneven classic that’s streaked with greatness and also crapness. More like MC3.5.
текстов тупее я еще не видел,2/5
Noisy, energetic and poorly recorded protopunk is not without its charm. I'll give it a 3 even though there were some rough moments.
A lot of energy and overall very enjoyable. It definitely has that live concert, rough-around-the-edges feel to it.
Niche for sure and the spooky psychedelia of Starship threw me off, but fans of every form of punk should check this out. I'm not sure if the people of 69 where ready
Vibey
Ik snap nog altijd niet het punt van live albums hierin, maar dit was wel best cool. Maar ja... 't is nog altijd een live album. 3.5
nicht pour mise, go raibh (maith agat)
I did not not see this one coming. Everyone knows kick our the jams from some movie or TV though I can place which one. It's loud it's wild it's in your face. It's kick ass and doesn't give a shit about much else beyond that. I'm a big punk guy so seeing it's first little baby steps or at least the first moments of existence. Cool cool cool love it
Pretty cool album sonically speaking. Felt like if the stooges and early led zeppelin had a baby. Lyrically and vocally it had great attitude but wasn't very catchy. Still enjoyed it
Punk before punk, would have been a fun gig to be at
Got me kinda hyped
I understand the significance, but it just doesn’t sound good. Just because it’s one of the first in a genre doesn’t mean it has to be bad. (1)
Didn’t receive this name from you
Influential? I guess.. but all music influences others. Hard pass. Never heard of them back in the day or today.
Kind of a hard rock/punk mixture. Not bad and probably influential, but I didn’t love it
3.5 I rock with it
I definitely started to like it more as the album went on but still not my favorite style. 2.5/5
Not good, extremely lacking in talent. However I do appreciate the energy level.
Kinda boring rock. Forgettable
MC5 has two cards to play: raw aggression and high energy. Marking this more Rock Fury than Hard Rock.
jos olet kaakkoisesta michiganista kotoisin ja et tiedä tätä bändiä... wau. ei muuta voi sanoa kon VAU. miten ei voi tietää? kakkois-michiganilaiset.. nyt vähän ryhtiä tähän, tehokas varhainen raaka proto punk. Tuntuu, että bändi on kirjaimellisesti tulessa huutaen helvetin sisimmässä. Kaikkien live-albumien tulee olla tällaisia. hupsista keikkaa nyt tuli sanottua väärin.. tarkoitin että paskavittu homo punk ja tuntuu että bändi paskoo housuun lavalla ja sitten kakkaa yleisön päälle huume hörhöillen elämänsä helvettiin. jos olisi 1965 niin hyvä albumi, ei ole mikään ylpeydenaihe tehdä 69 tälläsiä starship
didn't like it my first listen, but i'm relistening for a more fair assessment Ramblin' Rose - 3/5 Kick Out the Jams - 4/5 Come Together - 3/5 Rocket Reducer No. 62 - Talk - 1/5 Borderline - 1/5 Motor City Is Burning - 3/5 I Want You Right Now - 2/5 Starship - 2/5 Average score: 2.5/5 ⭐️⭐️ not as bad as i first listened, but by no means good i hear what some of you are saying about this being "important" as a proto-punk album, and i'm sure this was influential for what we know as punk today. however, influential doesn't always make something good imho
I’m sure if I saw this live it would have been cool but it’s only fine listening to it. This suffers from the same thing that the rest of these bands suffer from - they all sound the same. Sure they’ve got some funk but that’s not enough to justify why 1000000000 bands like this exist on this list. This isn’t groundbreaking, revolutionary, etc. This is only cool if this was your favorite band or if you happened to be high or drunk listening to them at a party.
Wish these guys were still around...need them now more than ever. 5
Punk rock noise. 2/5
I wanted to like this and there were things that I liked. The riffs were decent, especially for the era. It just didn't click with me. The vocals weren't great and the production sucked. 2.5/5
Heard these guys were we great but this live album is a bit of a mess
Wow! I knew the name, but did not know that this is what it was all about! If I didn't know better, I would have assumed this was the late 70s or even much later. The fact that they were this aggressive and raw, but also tight, at this point in history, is so awesome. There's a mix of jazz, R&B, blues, hard rock, and more on here.
The Intro really got me hyped up. Unfortunately the rest couldn't really keep me hooked, just ended up sounding like the usual riot at the Rockfabrik two doors over. I do understand the parents concerns 🙂↕️
messy, dirty and raw, proto-punk band that does justice to being a proto-punk band. always amazing and interesting to see the emergence and birth of new genres! 3.5/5
This has every different kind of rock on it! Punk, psych, & roll, blues! Great fun.
Music full of sound and fury signifying nothings..except a total lack of talent
Crikey chaps, it's 6.30am, could you turn it down a notch?
i feel like i'm listening to this through an instagram story which would be passable if the music didn't suck
Never listened to this album before outside of the title track. It was fun to read about the label/media frenzy over the notorious KICK OUT THE JAMS, MOTHERFUCKER. This was about what I was expecting, lots of high energy rockers. I was surprised by the weirdo last track, "Starship".
The only thing this had going for it was the fact it's loud and seemed to be newer than the 60s. But even compared to the pink albums we've had it's trash.
I thought he was singing “Chicken Street” instead of “Shakin”. It addd to the experience. Grungy aggressive rock n roll in the name of resistance.
if the beatles went punk
01) Ramblin' Rose - 5,5 02) Kick Out the Jams - 6,5 03) Come Together - 5,5 04) Rocket Reducer No. 62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa) - 5,5 05) Borderline - 5,0 06) Motor City Is Burning - 5,5 07) I Want You Right Now - 5,0 08) Starship - 2,0 TOTAL: 5,06 (51/100) Current ranking: 411/440
They were having a good time, I could barely make sense of it.
-this was a pretty fun listen, if not necessarily my first choice in music. I can really hear the primitive punk rock roots -I’m surprised I haven’t heard of them before actually because Kick Out The Jams is a great song and apparently pretty widely covered by other musicians -Favorites are Kick Out The Jams and Motor City Is Burning
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it was fine.
Strange, strange album. A debut live album with punk energy far beyond its' time and psychedelic jamming placing it firmly in the late 60s.
This couldn’t possibly have been produced in a studio at the time - obviously needed to be a live album. MC5 was really ahead of their time and while I’m not really down with all of their choices I’m always ready to kick out the jams, motherfuckers!
Sounds like I walked into a house party with a bad band playing in the basement.
This was a pretty cool live album, they were jamming and screaming like they enjoyed themselves. Stand-out: Ramblin' Rose
Side One: Kick Out Side Two: the jams
Kick Out The Jams (Live) is a poor effort, live albums should elevate the experience or at least make it seem like a time capsule of an event that was significant or noteworthy, but this does neither. It doesn't really show off anything in its best light, most of it is a wall of noise mixed terribly, incomprehensible vocals, and just really really bad. No idea why it's apparently so widely revered. 1/5.
This got off to a great start - the hyping up at the beginning made it feel like it could be a really high energy live album - but that good feeling dissipated pretty quickly. 1969 is very early to be a punk, but this is very much on the list because of what came after it rather than in its own right. Rambling Rose is a good start, but you lose the crowd energy very quickly afterwards, which means it just sounds like a bad recording. Completely the wrong mix, really takes away a lot - this kind of music lives and dies by its energy, and the mix takes out almost all of it. 2/5.
The sound quality isn't the best, so this isn't getting 5 stars from me. It sounds like a prototype of Kiss, a band I never really liked that much. Some of it was great, but a lot of it was just a mess. I'm going with 3 stars.
I wouldn't want to be a housemate of these guys, but the album is a blast.
I thought it was okay. Was a solid live album but didn’t think it was all that good. Should really be 2 stars but they were sounded like a solid live band and had some good Hendrix vibes which bought them up a Star
Many times rock music bores me. This IMO was boring and repetitious.
Kind of odd, but whatever.
Je peux comprendre que cet album est considéré vraiment essentiel dans l'établissement du punk rock, mais moi ça ne m'a pas autant fait vibrer qu'un Stooge. La production, même considérant que c'est un album live, est vraiment mauvaise aussi. J'imagine qu'il faudrait donner une deuxième chance. 4/10
It must have been fun to be a punk back then. This album, and others in the genre, are brightly angry and enjoyably jarring. Honestly, hard for me to listen to now. But I bet it was fun.
Not my fave
Bitchin psychopathic hard rock. Wayne Kramer and MC5 is insane. Really great rythmn and blues here at just a high decible and high energy. Its hard to hate, I get if it ain't your taste but the late 60s early 70s were fun. Key to note here Iggy pop and the stooges were better at this than MC5 though.
Solid
I don't much care for "live" albums. That said, this was pretty basic.
Meh
I didn't really like this one. Felt loud and disordered to me.
When I started this album journey, I initially expected the live albums to be a bit naff. The studio albums are how the band wanted to sound, so surely are the best way to listen, right? However, I found myself really enjoying a lot of the live albums, often more so than the studio recordings. This is not one of those times. Perhaps it is the time that it was recorded, but this all sounded a little too messy and didn’t make for a fun experience for me. I’ve never really seen the fuss with MC5 anyway, and this didn’t win me over. It’s not awful, but it’s certainly not an album I’ll be rushing back to listen again.
It's hard to fathom how this must have sounded in the context of 1968. Just 5 years after the Beatles shocked the world by having slightly long hair, and just 3 years after Dylan caused a stir by using electric guitars, the aggression of this album must've sounded like being in a wind tunnel.
I bet this would've been great to see live. I respect it, I just don't like it. I think these guys were quite possibly drunk when this was recorded. Starship is a bonkers track that I didn't bother to finish.
This guys rock pretty hard! Uncompromising on volume as well as sound.
they sure did kick them out
Garage rock? More like garbage schlock.
I can see every pretentious poser in my high school raving about how this album was so great, and influential. It’s not. It’s garbage. Trash. Was this band even successful at sucking? Never heard of them before now, and this will simply be the most forgotten album I listen to on this list. They suck so much I won’t even remember how much they suck. I’m thankful that they suck that much at least.
MC5 is cool. Very Detroit. It was cool to hear a live show, but I still don't think live albums should be included on the list.
I admire their energy, and how much punk it sounds, especially considering it was recorded no later than 1968. But the music itself isn't great or any way interesting. So extra point for doing something that was ahead of its time but otherwise it is not something I would want to listen to again.
lyrical content is not for me, musically it’s.. noisy. i do like the bluesy sound of “motor city is burning”.
A bit boring
Better than the Beatles
Wieso ist das hier?
Kuulostaa siltä, että keikka oli tosi hyvä. Soittimet soi kuin studiossa oltaisiin. Ihan ok biisitkin, kaipaisin vain lisää tarttuvuutta, jotta menojalka vipattaisi paremmin.
Vaikka kaikki biisit eivät ole huippuja (jokunen on), topografisesti tämä on pelkkää huippua. Erityismaininta: oudoin tuntemani falsettivokaali, Ramblin' Rose.
Noisy, raw and energetic but I'd have to be in the right mood to enjoy it.
Audio quality wasnt all that so couldsnt really tell
Awesome energy comes across despite the rubbish recording quality. Good album, all the more so given that it dates all the way back to 1969
Every time something by MC5 comes up, I get fooled into thinking it's going to be hip hop. It's not. Standard shouty post punk stuff. Neither bad nor good in my opinion.
Anecdotally, recorded live as "no studio would have been capable of capturing [MC5's] sheer energy, excitement, and danger". Unfortunately the audio quality dampens most of that energy. Like most of the "live" albums on the 1001 list, I guess you had to be there.
# Album Name: Kick Out The Jams (Live) # Artist: MC5 # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Was just alright. Lots of energy and drive. Could be a different story seeing them lives. Kick out the Jams was the stand out for me. Nothing else came close. # Top Tunes: Kick out the Jams # Would I listen to it again? No
Yes the proto-punk is very cool and this seems a wild live show, but c'mon we all know this is only on here for the title track. Almost everything else is just forgettable
It was alright
I admire the birth of punk, but I do not enjoy it unfortunately.
The songs are full of energy and it sounds like they would have been a blast to see live. I'm not a huge fan of live albums though, and most of the songs are pretty straightforward. It was a fun listen but probably not something I'll return to.
Never been a punk rock jam kinda gal...That's all I will say...
Guitar Riffs eat your heart out! not mind blowing, but a lot of them. Beat bops and gets the head nodding. Lyrics are nothing to be amazed by - some catchy some not. Would not listen to again or recommend. Not the worst I've listened to on here. Sounded below par mainstream of that era. Not memorable.
That Intro made me want to run through a brick wall!! After that just felt like they were a bit too horny during this show and were tryna get in my pants. Especially did not enjoy when the bloke was making slurping noises in my ear for a minute... quite odd. Otherwise good rock music.
I bet the concert was awesome, but this recording is not good at all!
I like the energy and the groove to some of the tunes - unfortunately the sound recording is pretty pants and it sort flattens the experience. If you were there I'm sure it would be a 5 but not sure I will return much.
Just didn't grab me. Must have been that weird falsetto in the opening track Ramblin' Rose that put me off
3.5/5
Basically just loud noise.
Good few first songs. Very middling afterwards. -1 for being a live album
Live albums are something else; there's just an energy that you don't get from a studio recording. I liked this way more than I thought I would.
Enjoyed this in the main. 3*
Solid. Maybe the exception to the rule re: live albums.
Fine, but not for me
This was really good, but I feel like somehow I missed the boat on it because even though I know who they are this album made me feel like I had literally never heard any of their music?
raw, exciting, forerunner of punk/garage, but not a great recording
Not all that
I've said it before, live albums rarely do it for me. Yet it makes so much sense for the debut album of the MC5 to be a live album. What is less obvious is how an album like this peaked at #30 on the Billboard 200. Even by today's standards, this sound is pretty abrasive, and the band's overtly political views were far from mainstream at the time. MC5 channelled anti-establishment, anti-capitalist, and pro-revolutionary ideals through their raw energy. The album’s defiance is both explicit, as in "Motor City Is Burning," which critiques police brutality during the Detroit riots, and implicit, with the incendiary chant “Kick out the jams, motherfuckers!” serving as a broader call to action against societal constraints. Rather than offering detailed political manifestos, the band conveys a visceral urgency to reject oppression and inspire communal resistance, making the album a sonic manifesto of revolution and liberation. While not overly sophisticated or intricate, the songs channel a primal, unfiltered power that perfectly complements their revolutionary ethos. Songs like the title track and "Rocket Reducer No. 62" are built around simple, repetitive riffs and relentless grooves, emphasizing immediacy and intensity over complexity. The lyrics often oscillate between rallying cries of rebellion and countercultural anthems, with tracks like "Motor City Is Burning" blending social commentary with blues influences. The songwriting prioritizes impact and atmosphere, capturing the chaotic spirit of their live performances and the urgency of their political message. While Kick Out the Jams is undeniably a landmark album, its chaotic sound and production can be seen as a double-edged sword. When it works, it’s raw, visceral, and deeply rooted in the band’s explosive live energy. However, as the album progresses, it begins to sound more unfocused and sloppy, with the lacklustre "Borderline" and "I Want You Right Now" contributing to a noticeable dip in quality. These tracks feel meandering and repetitive, with the energy flagging and the excitement dissipating after the initial intensity. The extended fuzz-drenched outro of "Starship" might have been thrilling in the moment for the live audience, but on record, it can come across as excessive and indulgent, undermining the album's initial relentless pace. While this rawness and excess may well be the embodiment of the punk rock spirit, the lack of refinement and the stretched-out jams make it an uneasy listen in places. I love this for what it represents but musically I found it tough. Did/Do I own this release? No Does this release belong on the list? No Would this release make my personal list? While there is no denying the historic significance of this album and the MC5, this shit is too abrasive for me. Will I be listening to it again? If I ever become a professional UFC fighter, this would be my pump-up music! Fortunately, that is highly unlikely.
Horrible
No. 299/1001 Ramblin' Rose 2/5 Kick Out the Jams 4/5 Come Together 3/5 Rocket Reducer No. 62 3/5 Borderline 3/5 Motor City is Burning 3/5 I Want You Right Now 3/5 Starship 2/5 Average: 2,88 Not my favorite listen. But you have to admire that they were ahead of their time and the rawness of this record.
I do not remember what this sounded like but I'm pretty sure I liked it
Nice and Noisy. Starship is perfect.
This has great energy, but I have to admit that I am a sucker for live recordings... particularly for straight ahead rock and roll bands. I also liked that this had a real anarchistic streak, definitely anti-establishment... what could be more rock and roll?
Laat ik maar weer beginnen om te vertellen dat ik niet zo'n fan van live albums ben. De muziek is lekker Rock'n'Roll, maar niet heel bijzonder, zeker niet in de live uitvoering; veel te schreeuwerig en teveel ruis in het geluid zelf. **
November 27, 2024 HL: "Starship", "Borderline", “Rocket Reducer No. 62” They said 'motherfucker', thusly this is an important album 1001 stars out of 5
I think this is a "innovative" or "groundbreaking" album for it's time. Otherwise it's a little basic sounding. Energy is definitely there but the songs are just fine.
Poor audio quality and production makes the live album hard to listen to. Some songs were interesting Standout songs: Kick out the jams Motor city is burning
This is tough because I'm reviewing this as an album. I think if I was at this show it would be an easy 5/5. The energy is clearly wild and you can feel the passion. Especially for when it was made it must have been unreal. Musically it's tight but the recording isn't carrying that through overly well. A good listen and should be on the list but held back by not being there.
This wasn't doing anything for me until I got to Starship. Starship caught my attention. So I went back. It had it's moments on second listen. I wasn't in the mood for this today. The live recording just made it sound a bit messy.
I was surprised to learn of the year after I listened to this, since it sounds a lot later in the hard rock scene than I thought. Also, they debuted with this? A live album? I suspect this is extremely influential, since it's not a name I've heard before, but it fits right in to the era of heavy metal that would explode a few years later. Still, I want more than this is giving me. Musically, dynamically, lyrically, it's not really trying for a lot. Plus, it has all the problems of live albums without much to justify a live recording.
crazy energy for a 60s rock album, i can see how influential this must've been. i dont know if i like this album or not if im being real
I’ve listened to this album several times over the years, and I’ve never been able to get into it. Frankly, it’s just a mess. It seems like there’s promise at times, but it’s all buried under shitty production, the noise in the venue, and some really sloppy playing.
Very punk, for 1969. In some ways, harder and more radical than Jimi. I will need to listen to it a few times to get a hang of the music, but this 60s acid rock is delicious, so I'll enjoy it some more. 4/5
I can see the proto-punk in this album. It has moments of being interesting and starts to pick up by the end. Then Starship happens and it all falls apart again. A useful listen for understanding music history, but not something I plan on returning to.
For 1969, this shit rocks! Totally gives post punk vibes and I can see them being super controversial back then. Nice, short, rockin punk album. Not something I’d put on by choice, but it was still good. Listen again: probably not Purchase for my collection: no Favourite Song:
Again instruments are so loud that the singer has to scream. Uninteresting, generic rock.
Chaotic proto-punk, this is just hard for me to enjoy, similar to The Stooges. It's rebellious and angry, but has very basic riffs that repeat too often and isn't very fun to listen to. Now I did enjoy the dueling scales in Rocket Reducer No. 62 and that's definitely the most structured song on the list here.
Knap så legendarisk som jeg syntes da jeg købte den for 30 kr i stereo studio i Esbjerg, men stadig et solidt protopunk album. Ville være 1/5 hvis det var et studiealbum, men jeg synes virkelig den fanger følelsen af at være til en rowdy undergrundskoncert og energien i første halvdel er off the charts
Må have være vildt nok at være i den første moshpit nogensinde
Great energy at least for the first half
This was poor, loud, and pointless noise with over sexualized lyrics. With reagrds to the tracks nothing stood out. I am guessing this made the list as its very early punk and at the start of the era. Favourite song: None Least favourite: All of them, its a poor album Album artwork: meh
Aside from the Stooges, I cant think of another band from the late 60’s who influenced punk and alternative music as much as MC5. They really deliver a frenetic energy absent from their peers. “Starship” sounds like it shouldve came out 10 years later.
it's energetic...i think it'll grow on me. I'm not energetic and I want to go back to bed right now, so maybe not the best time. I liked Starship a lot, and I Want You Right Now
Great high energy rock. A good album, and worthwhile listen.
Hard to listen to because the sound quality is just so crappy
extremly rocky live. unbelieveably energetic album.
Ok, but would not listen again 2/5
This is a mess, but kinda fun? 2.8.
Punk's roots start here. Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5
this is garage rock at it's finest. one of my fav live albums
Meh. Late 60's rock. Very much the sound of the time. No songs stood out for me. No need to listen to again.
The fuck was that
A phenomenal, landmark album that still kicks ass.
Damn this is from 1969??
I have no idea what is going on, but I do like it. Standout tracks: - Rocket reducer no. 62 - talk (the guitars in this are chef's kiss (4/5)
Enjoyable live album
3.5/5
Best Song: Kick Out the Jams. Full of energy, great vocals. I wish that they had condensed more of their other tracks to this sub 3-minute length to really concentrate the impact. Worst Song: Starship. There was no reason to take things in this unfocused, proggy direction after such a tight, punctate album. Overall: The perfect example of how to do a live album. Rather than trying to emulate a studio performance in a live setting, the goal here seems to be to provide a raw and energetic show. Music that gets in your face. Music that makes you appreciate live music. It fuckin' rips.
Like, I get that it was inspiration proto-punk. But, YUCK. 2.1 stars
This album could have been an email
The energy is there for sure but the tunes not so much
Not for me. 1/5
MC5 are overrated as hell
Why haven't I heard of this band before? I guess it's because this stuff isn't really hit material. It's a bit uneven, there's nothing too deep and the sound quality is pretty bad but I kind of enjoyed it and would give it another listen. 2.75/5
Enjoyed it
Absolutely not
Not bad, not great
Better than many reviews credit, but low production quality make it a hard listen.
Its like the who mixed with the kinks and the monkees. It was cool hearing Kick out the Jams originally thinking it was a RATM song and not a cover.
This is garbage but I can see the good parts that make up the whole. The guitar work is impressive. The drums are high energy. The zeppelin style guitar hooks. Good message in the rants between songs. I can see the influence they would have had on future punk acts. Fav Track: Rocket Reducer No. 62 - Talk
Awful, just awful
The roots of PUNK!
Sloppy, all over the place, not super coherent. In other words, the perfect way to kick off punk rock. Is it anything special musically? No. But it is fun to listen do? Absolutely yes.
something is wrong with my earbuds.
I don't get why this album is as praised as it is. I didn't find it interesting, and I really don't see how this was important for the revolution of punk rock. Really, I don't know why people like it as much as they do.
the forefathers of punk. gritty, raw, and good.
Loud, mean, and dangerous. Very cool.
Well this was awesome. Glad to have listened to this slice of Detroit music history. I like the fuck the establishment songs the best, like Motor City Is Burning, which is a song about the Detroit Riot that they adapted from John Lee Hooker. I recommend the original song too; it's blues style, with Buddy Guy on guitar, and also very good. Starship is weird in the best way.
Really no idea why an album like this makes the list. Early hard rock / punk. Wow.
Album number 200 and it’s an absolute fucking rush. A complete whirlwind of late 60s garage psych which relentlessly imposes lick after lick, hook after hook and political soliloquy after… you get the idea. It’s perhaps not fair to assess this live recording in terms of the usual intentionality of the studio album. But either way, this is just such a great record and its influence hasn’t diminished over the years. Shame one of them became a right-wing loon…
I've heard Kick Out the Jams many times, but never listened to the whole album. The energy is great, the story is fun to read and the album has solid historical significance, but the music itself... meh.
Sure, I can dig this. Abrasive, raw and, yes, in some ways, not very good. But there's something there that helps it rattle along. Probably not going to come back to it so often, but can now nod sagely and make reference to how influential they would prove to be.
Awful ballsy to debut with a live album. Jam band energy, makes sense why after a listen. I'm sure it was a fun show to be at, and was a fine listen but nothing outstanding as an album. Singer felt a little cultural appropriation-ey too.
MC5 was a garage rock band with leftist leanings and often get credited with being an early originator of punk rock. this live album not only showcases their sheer power, but you can feel the energy of their live show through the speakers. highlights: “ramblin’ rose” “kick out the jams” “motor city is burning”
Started strong, whimpered out.
If this came out later it wouldn't really be that impressive but since it came out in 1969 it is a little ahead of the time. That being said, the album is pretty boring and I don't care for it.
Heard this one before a few times over the years. I'm generally not a live album fan, so it's cool to see a band who chose live albums as their main format, and it does capture a sense of raw urgency. I like the energetic rock sound. I can appreciate how this music would have felt like revolutionary counterculture if you were there in the audience at the time. But in hindsight, a large part of this just "oooh baby baby I want you right now, I'm the man for you, ramalamalama". You have to fairly invested in the mythology of rock music to still see this as revolutionary. Enjoyable record though. 3.5*
This is far too rockist for me - a '60s audio equivalent of Banksy, a shallow caricature of political rock posturing. Often lumped in with Stooges, Iggy's band were so far ahead of this. There is no real light here, just macho shade. I would have liked this kind of thing when I was 14 and angry, but it just sounds obvious and one-dimensional now.
I've always struggled with MC5. Too much rock, not enough roll. I'm all for the revolution, but preferably with a little more soul and a cup of tea.
I liked the energy, didn't love the quality and the last 3 songs of the album. 'Rocket Reducer No. 62 - Talk' wins my fave I think. 'Borderline' was good too.
I was going to give this a 3 because it’s short and not terrible, but then that last song, Starship, sucked so much I haven’t give more than a 2
Not bad stuff. Nothing really standout though. Simpsons: Don’t think so
Nothing that interesting here. Finally track on the album was a pain to get through.
Nice and short and alright. Some good vibes for a Sunday morning, but nothing that memorable.
Third 2 star album, maybe it’s just me at this point. There’s a reason most albums released are studio albums, live albums are unpolished and a bit shite. But I think unpolished is what these guys are going for which I honestly don’t hate. It’s better than your average live albums but it ain’t great
MC5 live not great. Just a noisy mess for me.
It’s ok
meh
Kick out the jams was alright, but not really my jam. Still good enough for 3 stars though.
eh
I understand this came early and the Stooges and them were some of the first proto-punk, so hey, congrats on being there before others. But it's not enjoyable to listen to.
Funky; impressive. Not for me.
An interesting live document of a tumultuous time that roars.
Rough around the edges and filled with energy.
I'm moreso amazed that music like this was made in 1969 rather than the music itself. I've never listened to this album before, but I have to imagine that it might be one of the single most influential in this list.
Hell yeah
Welcome to the jungle, we got MC5.
Too loud, too self-important. It's like a bunch of hippies got high and thought that they knew how to save the world.
Eeeeeh I don't know about this one. Super influential. But not that exciting to me. Some good proto punk sure. But. Eeeeeh.
I imagine this would've been amazing live. A bit repetitive and abrasive in a way I don't love but I can definitely see the appeal. I Want You Right Now was amazing. Very sexy and explosive. The rest I found a bit harder to get into. Probably won't revisit but I can imagine the magic in person. 3.5
This benefits a lot from being a live recording. It's rough and loud and chaotic, very high-energy. It makes me want to be there Favorites: "Ramblin' Rose", "Kick Out The Jams", "Rocket Reducer", "Motor City Is Burning"
I'd say a live album wasn't the best intro to a band, but that's the debut they put out.
"Kick Out the Jams" is the debut album by American rock band MC5. The album was recorded live at Detroit's Grande Ballrooom over two nights, Devil's Night and Halloween. Proto-punk, garage rock, hard rock and punk rock. Yep. MC5 are Rob Tyner (vocals), Wayne Kramer (lead guitar), Fred "Sonic" Smith, Michael Davis (bass) and Dennis Thompson (drums). The album initially had mixed reviews but is now considered a forerunner to punk rock music. Commercially, it reached #30 in the US. The crowd cheering and an emcee introducing the band and telling the audience to have a revolution opens the album in "Ramblin' Rose." A solid rhythm section. A Who-like guitar on this one. Wayne Kramer on lead vocals with his high falsetto. They continue the hard barrage in "Kick Out the Jams." Explosive. Some people interpreted this as kicking out restrictions. The band actually used to say this to a band they played with to get off the stage. The band shows its bluesy muscles in "Motor City is Burning." Dirty blues guitar. The band jams in maybe their best sounding song on the album. It's actually a jam band song too. Oh, they don't like cops either. The album closes with "Starship," a song based on a poem by Sun Ra. Man, this is trippy. Droning guitars. Very prog. It goes on for eight minutes. I was not expecting the band to all out Hawkwind on us. Most of this album is fast, punk, energetic and chaotic. Attitude makes up for some of the sloppiness. Kramer's lead guitar is great throughout. I kind of didn't get the last song but most of this rocked pretty hard. I'm guessing that if you like punk music, you will like this.
Would love someone to explain it to me. Greatest Hits = Not allowed. Live versions of an artists greatest hits = Allowed. Dumb. Just like this album.
5/5. Just unadulterated punk. The guitar playing is sloppy, the singing is chaotic, the rhythm is nonexistent mostly. This is how live albums should be, no filter just raw sound. I love this so much, just blast it at full volume. The lack of clear production works in its favor, so it annoys the people who don't care to listen. Best Song: Kick Out The Jams, Motor City Burning, Ramblin' Rose
Não me empolgou, pela lógica seria um show magnífico. Só reconheço a importância pelas influências nas bandas que realmente fazem shows que me interessam enormemente.
I wish I was at that concert
Good live album, got a little too heavy/punky for me toward the end
Okay album, just noisy and not properly recorded, is what I think. But, the songs and beats are outstanding!
Schräg, laut, intensiv,
antenati del punk
Really like
One finds it pretty easy to admire (and even enjoy in doses) the fury and thrashing and passion without taking it seriously in any way. And not in the least is one surprised that it didn't last, despite the authenticity of the rawness (which seems awfully close to talentlessness at time, though "Human Being Lawnmower" suggests how they might have grown had they got past the commitment to chaos). Today, it seems almost quaint, the massive overrating of this lot; their contemporary appeal would have to be nostalgia-aided. The best bits would be the insistently spiky guitars on, among other tracks, "Looking at You." But any record with "Shakin' Street" would be compromised in terms of putting forth anything like political subversion or meaningfully directed rage. One's also confident it must have been quite cool to see in person all those years ago; in other words, they shoulda named their live album what Jimmy Buffett named his.
A lot of fun! Very cool. Another piece of evidence that proves I was born in the wrong decade! 4.3
New headphones, new me. I have decided that I will like this album. Yeah, nah. It's honestly not bad, just a bit basic.
Finished Eagles - Eagles just before this and this was basically like listening to the same album but worse
I get why these guys get the hype that they do.....sort of. Loud, aggressive punk that was ahead of its time. Sometimes the same three chords played over and over while the singer does their thing, does it for me. This did not. Having said that, it would be a fun concert to be at for all that energy.
Goddddammmmnnn right!
Certainly ahead of it’s time, but still not for me.
Who? Not sure who decided that this was pro-punk rather than rock, and pretty medocre rock at that? Sound quality is not great.
Sounds like a bootleg to me. I generally like this kind of music and I´m sure it was a hell of experience to attend this concert 🤘 but neighter the recording quality nor the quality of the performance of the singer and the band matches my nowadays demands. Because I generally question live albums on this list I rate it down further one star. 1,5
Brother Wayne - kick out the jams motherf**ker!!!!!!! Classic classic
Had only heard the title track which is epic. The rest dud not disappoint. Looking forward to the new posthumous album coming out in October.
An interesting listen - hadn’t heard of them before and it’s definitely a massive influence on what would become punk in a few years.
a bit intense
5 out of 5, this is a great proto-punk album that should at least be listened to once.
Not a bad rock album but nothing really stands out to me.
My god the falsetto in the opening track. Didn't know a punk band could do that. I don't like it. Other than that, thought it was a nice, dirty, punk offering. Could have done without the spacy interlude of Starship.
Unpolished, aimless, and mostly unremarkable other than maybe (if I'm being generous) "Motor City is Burning." Ends on the 8-minute "Starship" which is a weird sort of almost performance art piece. That kind of track usually works well for me, but even it wasn't really compelling.
Sounds like it would’ve been a fun show live, but through Spotify it just doesn’t translate for me.
Eh, not impressed by this. It might be ahead of its time but it's still stodgy, uninspired rock. And there's something vaguely cultish about the performance which doesn't do it any favours. I'm probably being overly harsh, but... 1.5 stars
maybe you gotta be from detroit or something…. id rather listen to early who or hell even the stooges….
No amount of drugs will ever get me to listen to this again
Never heard of these but a good sound with lots of energy. (Same review I wrote for yesterday’s)
This album rocks hard, but to channel Review's Forrest MacNeil, is it any good? Not really. The songs just aren't that enjoyable to listen to for me.
I can see this album being really impressive when it came out. I think its energy and message were already part of the Zeitgeist when I came to consciousness. It feels unimpressive and honestly kind of weird in a way that hasn't aged well. It's probably important. It's not for me.
Too messy
Oh man, the hype at the beginning got me pumped and then he started singing… The rest of the album recovered and was pretty decent
Wee bit meandering for me.. kinda cool. Cool cover.
Good energy and a fun live recording but not incredibly memorable to me
had honestly never heard of this band or project and really enjoyed it! very kickass